Nico Rosberg says Lewis Hamilton proved he was an ‘assassin’ by refusing to follow one Mercedes team order

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Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were, until recently, the last teammates to battle for the F1 world championship. They finished first and second for three straight seasons between 2014 and 2016.

Hamilton prevailed at the 2014 finale and won comfortably in 2015, but Rosberg established a commanding lead at the start of the 2016 season. The British driver won the final four Grands Prix that year, but still lost out by five points.

Rosberg retired as a world champion, bringing to an end one of the most bitter rivalries in the sport’s recent history. There were three high-profile collisions between the two drivers.

Nine years on, McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri couldn’t be more different. While they came together at the Canadian GP, Norris immediately took responsibility, preserving a strong relationship in the heat of a title battle.

Nico Rosberg says Lewis Hamilton didn’t return the favour after he moved over in 2016

At last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Piastri obeyed an instruction from McLaren to return second place to Norris in the closing laps. A slow pit stop for car number four had seen him gain a position.

The team felt this wasn’t fair, and while Piastri indicated that pit-stop mishaps were ‘part of racing’, he obliged. Some feel there are multiple title-winning drivers who would have refused.

Appearing on Sky Sports’ F1 Show, Rosberg revisited the 2016 Monaco GP, when he dutifully relinquished P2 to Hamilton so he could chase Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. His title rival went on to win the race.

However, at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton (first) deliberately backed Rosberg (second) into the pack in a last-ditch effort to snatch the championship. Mercedes told him to speed up to avoid jeopardising a one-two finish, but he replied that he was ‘quite comfortable’ with his tactics.

“Monaco Grand Prix 2016 – I’m racing against Lewis for the championship, I’m second, he’s third, and Ricciardo is disappearing into the distance because I’m too slow,” Rosberg recalled. “There’s a threat that we as a team are losing the race win. It’s clear.

“The team comes on the radio and tells me, ‘You need to let Lewis past because we might lose the race win here otherwise’. I moved over and waved him past because it was clearly defined. Of course, it’s hard in the moment, but it’s clear and easy to understand and you’ve just got to do it.

“Lewis didn’t do it in Abu Dhabi, which was the same situation, but that’s understandable. If you’re an assassin, you want to try and maximise the grey areas.”

Nico Rosberg says Oscar Piastri won’t be ‘scared’ like he was

According to one journalist, Toto Wolff regrets how he managed Hamilton and Rosberg during the 2016 season. He felt he imposed too many rules on the two drivers.

The tension at the end of the season very nearly caused lasting damage to Wolff’s relationship with Hamilton. Talks during the winter of 2016 ensured it could continue, with the former McLaren driver going on to win four more championships at Brackley.

• READ MORE: Toto Wolff pinpoints the biggest thing he’s learned from Lewis Hamilton in his 12 years at Mercedes

Norris finds himself in a similar position to Hamilton as he chips away at a significant advantage. Rosberg admits he was ‘scared’ when his first title came into view but doubts that fear will overcome Piastri.

The respect shown by Piastri and Norris is a testament to the culture Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have implemented at McLaren. But the Monza radio call could create an awkward precedent in the final eight races.